A Second Chance
by Alagaesia girl
Summary: What if Caroline had died instead of Tyler?
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: I know I should finish my other story before I start another one, but I was thinking the danger is passed in that one and I'm having extreme writers block for some reason. I saw the preview for Charlie St. Cloud and this story idea popped into my head so i thought I would try it. Let me know if you don't like it and I won't bother with it but I thought it sounded like kind of a cool idea. I always hate my first chapters because they take me the longest and I never think they are right but anyway I hope you like it. let me know!

A Second Chance

Summary: What if Caroline and Charles had died instead of Tyler?

Kind of a Remember Me/Charlie St. Cloud crossover, from what I got from the preview of the movie. So yeah , I don't own Remember Me or Charlie St. Cloud.

Chapter one

I don't want to go

"Tyler, you promised we could go to the park today," Caroline said giving her brother her world famous glare.

"Yeah, well I didn't know it was father, daughter day because someone forgot to tell me," Tyler said with a raised eye brow as he zipped his sister's backpack closed.

"I'd rather go to school," Caroline said pouting, crossing her arms across her chest.

Tyler smiled, he knew that going to work with their father was not high on his sister's to do list. It hadn't been on his either when he had been in her shoes, but she needed the grade for an upper level class she was taking. A thought entered Tyler's head and he smiled, "You'd rather go to school hu? I'm sure that can be arranged."

Caroline's eyes widened and she shook her head, "No, no. "

Tyler laughed, as much as Caroline didn't want to go with their father, she didn't want to go to school more.

"Besides we were going to the park after school anyway, you're only going to be at dad's office for a few hours. I'll come get you at noon and we can make a day of it, we'll even go to our spot in the woods okay?" Tyler said with a smile as he clipped on Caroline's favorite necklace around her neck.

"But I don't want to go at all." Caroline said throwing her hair back after holding it back for Tyler to clasp the chain, "I just want to be with you, like you said."

"Care, I think its dad or school," Tyler said with a laugh.

"I know," Caroline said still pouting.

Tyler smiled, he sighed and went down on one knee to come face to face with his sister, "Tell you what Care, I'll make you a deal. You go with dad today—And for the next five months I will help you draw. I'll pose for you, I'll hold things for you-heck just consider me your coat rack."

"Promise?" Caroline asked closing one eye and glaring at him with the other.

Tyler smiled and nodded, "I promise—do we have a deal?" He held out his sister's backpack to her hoping that it would work.

Caroline bit her lip and thought for a minute but then she nodded, "Deal," she put her first arm through the strap and Tyler put the other strap over her other arm. Just then there was a honk from downstairs.

"That will be dad, come on I'll walk you out." Tyler said and put out his arm for his sister, "My lady?"

"Why thank you kind sir," Caroline said put her arm through her brother's and they walked out of the room.

…..

"Ally—Aidan—I'm back!" Tyler called as he entered his apartment.

"Where have you been?" Aidan asked as Tyler entered the kitchen where Ally was just finishing making their breakfast of French toast.

"I told you where I was going when I left Aidan," Tyler said as Ally kissed him and handed him a plate.

"Oh—you did?" Aidan asked.

Tyler shook his head, Aidan had been half asleep when he had left at five but he knew he had heard him, "Caroline Aidan, I went to see Caroline."

"Ohhh, right, I knew that," and with that Aidan dove into his food.

….

After breakfast Tyler helped Ally wash the dishes—or tried to, it turned into a water fight.

"Okay, okay, I give!" Ally squeaked as Tyler drenched her from the waist up.

I knew you would," Tyler said in a mock pirate voice.

Ally raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

"What?" Tyler asked going back to his normal voice.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry but you would have made a lousy pirate," Ally said with a laugh as she ran her fingers through his soaked hair.

"Ally—I'm hurt—I'm actually wounded," Tyler said sticking out his lip in a pout.

Ally was just about to smack him when a huge shudder filled the apartment so instead she ended up falling into his arms.

"What in the world was that?" Aidan asked as he joined them in the kitchen.

Tyler shook his head and the three of them ran for the rooftop door. When they reached it they were not prepared for what met their eyes. Smoke and ash, everywhere there was ash. Black smoke was billowing out of the upper stories of the north tower of the World Trade Center. Aidan just looked at it wide eyed not sure what to say. Ally's hands shot to her mouth and tears filled her eyes. She looked to Tyler who had yet to move. Tyler just stood there, frozen, his eyes glued to the tower as the black smoke rose against the blue sky. Ally's cries and Aidan's yelling fell on deaf ears as Tyler looked on, his eyes never leaving where all the smoke was gathered.

Even when the second tower was hit, Tyler's eyes didn't move, they stay locked on the north tower, locked on the smoke. His eyes filled with tears and he finally collapsed to the floor of the rooftop. He felt Ally's arms around him, he felt Aidan squeeze his shoulder, but his eyes, tear filled or not never left the smoking north tower. His father's office was in that tower, not only was his father there—so was his sister.

"Dad-," Tyler said not believing what he was seeing he forced the other name out, "Caroline," he whispered and buried his head into Ally's shoulder and finally let his tears fall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

The Deal

Tyler woke up the next morning, still curled up on the floor where he had fallen the night before. He looked up to see Ally sitting in the chair next to him. She reached down and ran her hand through his mop of curls that had turned into a tangled mess on the top of his head. He sighed and looked away from her, his eyes traveling towards the door, he knew that his sister was gone, he knew his dad was gone. Yet something in him would not let him look away from the door. Hoping that somehow that door would open and his sister would be standing there.

"I shouldn't have made her go," Tyler said not looking away from the door.

Ally jumped, a little surprised at hearing his voice, he had been quite for so long.

"Tyler, you can't blame yourself for this, you had no way of knowing this was going to happen. No one did, it was just some random act of hatred. There was nothing you could have done, you can't blame yourself for something you have no control over," Ally said gently rubbing his neck which had tensed as he spoke.

Tyler pulled his eyes away from the door and looked up at her, sighing he nodded, "I know—I know, but I can't help it, I promised her I would be there, that I would protect her from anything and everything. I didn't keep that promise Ally."

Ally bit her lip and slid down to floor beside him, she pulled his face up to look at her, the fresh tears in his eyes reflected off the window in the rising sun, "Caroline wouldn't want you to do this to yourself Tyler. You did protect her, from everything you could, you were there when she needed you, you did keep that promise Tyler, and she knows it."

"I told Michael, that last day I saw him, he made promise that I wouldn't let anything happen to our little sister. I didn't know why he was making me say that until later that day when—when I found him," Tyler said more tears gathering in his eyes.

Ally shed a few of her own tears as she began rubbing circles on his back, "Michael knows Tyler. He knows that you didn't know this was going to happen. He knows that if you could have saved her you would have."

Tyler nodded, "If I could trade places with her right now, I would."

Ally nodded, "I know you would, no questions asked."

Tyler sighed and looked down at the charm necklace in his hand. It had been placed in the lost and found late the night before, the clasp had been snapped in two. It had been found in the dust and debris below, Tyler could only think that the force of the impact was what snapped the clasp. He had made it himself and it was sturdy. Biting his lip, thinking of what the last few minutes of his little sister's life must have been like he gripped the necklace into his fist and let the tears fall once again.

"I know she knew that I loved her, and that if I could have helped her I would have, I just wish-," Tyler paused not sure if he could finish what he was saying, "Ally—If I could just go back to yesterday morning—I would take her to school, I wouldn't make her go with dad." Talking about his father made him think once again, he had not only lost his sister—he had lost his dad too.

"We all wish that at some point Tyler, but we can't. I wish I could go back and do something different to save my mom but I can't. I wish I could do something to make you feel better," Ally said, she was feeling lost, Aidan had left to check on Tyler's mom since Tyler wasn't really in a condition to move, it had been just her and Tyler all morning and she was running out of things to say to him. What do you say to someone who has lost a Brother, a father and a sister all within six years of each other? She had lost her mother but that was a long time ago and she had been so little, for Tyler to lose so many so close together—she couldn't even imagine what he was going through.

"When are they?" Tyler asked suddenly making Ally jump.

"When's what?" Ally asked not sure what he was talking about.

"The funerals-you talked to my mom didn't you?" Tyler asked he still wasn't all there his thoughts were still on Caroline, even somewhat on his father.

"Well, yeah I did but I don't think anything is set yet," Ally said, Tyler looked away, towards the widow-the widow that used to face the twin towers. Sighing Ally reached out and pulled Tyler to her in a hug, "It's going to be okay Tyler."

Tyler buried his head into her shoulder, not caring if he ever left the floor again, "I don't know what I would do without you Ally," He said into her hair.

"You would make it Tyler, even if you didn't have me. You would make it." Ally whispered pulling him even closer running her fingers through his hair once again as she continued to cry with him.

….

Tyler stood alone in the cemetery. Ally had left with his mother and Aidan to get the house ready for the wake, she knew that Tyler wanted some time alone. Sighing as a single tear fell down his cheek Tyler loosed the tie around his neck and knelt down next to the two new graves and the one older one, he was causing his dress slacks to crease, but he couldn't have cared less.

Biting his lip his looked to his father's stone. It simply read "Charles Tyler Hawkins, May 11th 1953-September 11th 2001, Father of Michael, Tyler and Caroline."

Tyler sighed; his stone seemed so impersonal, like he didn't know his own father. The sad truth was, he didn't, "Well dad, I wore a tie-happy?" Tyler sighed again and ran his hand over the stone, "Dad even you didn't deserve to die this way, I'm sorry."

Tyler shook his head and turned to his brother's stone, "Michael James Hawkins, May 20th 1973-May 20th 1995 Beloved son and Brother."

Tyler blinked a few times before trusting his voice, "They are all yours now Michael, take care of Caroline, be the brother to her that I can't be anymore." He slowly traced his brother's name with his fingers like he always did and then he slowly faced the last stone in the small row. It was smaller than the other two, more for the person it represented. "Caroline Joy Hawkins, September 18th 1990-September 11th 2001, Beloved daughter and sister, taken to young, remembered forever."

More tears slid down Tyler's face as he took the biggest charm off the necklace and placed it at the foot of the head stone. Tyler planned on keeping the rest of them. Though the charm he placed there had a bigger purpose, it belonged to Caroline. "Follow your heart and never give up," it read. On the back it read "to Caroline, Love Tyler: September 11th 2001. Caroline had never even seen the charm, Tyler was going to add it to her necklace for her birthday, but instead of her birthday on the charm it now had the date of her death.

Tyler finally let it all go, he let the tears flow freely done his face and he gripped the other charms in his hand as he sank down and laid his head on the grass near his sister's stone, not wanting to go anywhere else. He closed his eyes as tears continued to flow, but he didn't care, he was where he wanted to be until the wake was over.

"Tyler?" Tyler sat up, had someone just called him? He knew that voice, but it was impossible.

"Tyler," the voice called again this time louder.

Tyler knew he knew that voice, but it could really be calling him now.

"Tyler!" This time Tyler could tell where the voice came from and he looked in that direction to see a flash of green before it disappeared into the woods again, "Woods, our place," the voice echoed.

Tyler pulled himself to his feet and started towards the small clump of woods at the edge of the cemetery at a dead run. He was just into the thickest part of the trees when his foot caught on a fallen branch on the ground. THUD! He hit the ground face first, he pushed himself around so he was sitting, his ankle was at an odd angle, great a broken ankle was all he needed right now. Suddenly something landed in his lap, he looked closely and realized it was a drawing pad and a pencil. He looked up and his eyes filled with tears once again, standing in front of him was Caroline. She was still wearing the green dress she had put on the morning of that day and she held her glasses in one hand and her backpack in the other. She looked at Tyler meaningfully, "I thought we had a deal?" she said pointing at the drawing pad in her brother's lap.

Tyler looked at the pad and then back to his sister, his beautiful baby sister, and then slowly nodded "That's right Maestro—we do have a deal."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

I'll be here

With tears still falling down his face Tyler tried to get up, though his ankle wouldn't let him get very far. After falling back down four times and having Caroline laugh at him, he finally decided it was better if he just stayed on the ground. He pulled himself up next to a tree so his back was supported and looked at his sister again.

"This is impossible, you're gone," Tyler said watching his sister as she came to sit next to him, then his eyes widened, "I'm not dead am I?"

Caroline laughed, "No, how in the world would you be dead you haven't been anywhere today."

Tyler raised an eyebrow and thought about it for minute; he had to admit Caroline had a point, "Okay so I'm not dead?"

Caroline shook her head, "No Tyler, you're not dead."

"Then why can I see you?" Tyler asked confused.

"It's hard to explain," Caroline said as she pulled her dress over her legs, "Even I don't really get why you can see me, you just can."

Tyler shook his head still confused. He reached his arm out slowly and then pulled it back. He was afraid to touch her, if he was dreaming he didn't want to wake up, but he wanted to touch her-to hug her.

Caroline smiled, somehow knowing what he wanted to do, "Go ahead Tyler, you can touch me."

Tyler's eyes widened and he reached out again, slowly his fingers touched her arm, it was there. Tyler bit his lip and gently but quickly pulled his sister into a hug, "I never thought I would get to do this again."

Caroline nodded into his chest, "I know."

Tyler pulled her away from him and looked into her eyes, "Did you-see-what was going to happen?"

Caroline shook her head, "I was in the hallway with dad, I didn't see a thing."

Tyler nodded, "Good."

Caroline sighed and curled up next to Tyler's side, "I wasn't scared Tyler, I promise."

Tyler wiped away a few tears with his sleeve and changed the subject, "So-what do you need my help with?"

For the next few hours Tyler helped Caroline draw, using things that she had in her backpack. The things she could fit in there surprised Tyler to say the least. She had a small easel to hold her papers on, she had her drawing pencil set: her dark and light set. She even had the paint set that Tyler had gotten her on her last birthday.

"Maestro-how did you get all of this into your backpack?" Tyler asked as she positioned him for another drawing.

"I have my ways," Caroline said with a smile as she returned to easel to begin her third picture.

As the time went on Tyler noticed something different about his sister, she was wearing a pendent necklace around her neck. A necklace Tyler had never seen before.

"Maestro-where did you get that necklace?" Tyler asked as she finished the drawing.

Caroline looked at the pendent that hung just below her chin and smiled, "Oh, well I lost my charm necklace so Michael gave me this one, he had it in his pocket when—well you know."

Tyler's eyes lit up, "Michael-you saw Michael?"

Caroline nodded, "He says hi by the way, and so does dad."

"Why can't I see them too?" Tyler asked as he tried to move his leg again, wincing as his ankle screamed at him.

Caroline shrugged, "Only you can answer that Tyler-I think the question is: why can you see me at all?"

Tyler nodded, that was a question, "By the way Maestro, I have your charm necklace." He pulled the remaining charms out of his front pocket, "It was in the lost and found after the towers collapsed."

Caroline looked at the clasped and nodded, "I thought, that's what happened, even your clasps can't withstand that kind of impact."

Tyler held it out for her but she shook her head, "No Tyler, you keep it, I can't wear it with a broken clasp anyway."

"Thanks Care Bear," Tyler said switching to the old nickname from when Caroline was a baby. He looked at the necklace again trying to remember the day he made it. The sound of thunder brought him out of his thoughts.

"Sounds like a storms coming up," Tyler said looking up to the sky just as it began to rain, he looked back to his sister to see that she had everything packed up, she was leaving, "You can't leave now."

Caroline smiled, "Tyler, we've been out here all day, you've been missing for almost eight hours, mom and Ally are worried sick. You need to go back now."

"I don't want to leave you," Tyler said as new tears threatened to fall all day he had known the time was coming but now that it was here he wasn't sure he could say good bye.

"This isn't good bye Tyler," Caroline said as if she could read his thoughts, "You own me five months drawing time."

Tyler smiled as he remembered his promise once again, "So I'll see you tomorrow?"

Caroline shook her head, "You might want to make it a couple of days, your ankle is going to take a while to heal."

Tyler looked down at his foot. She was right; the darn thing was swelling right through the shoe, it would be totally black and blue by the time he got home. He looked back up to his sister, "maybe you're right."

"I know I'm right," Caroline said smiling.

Just then a voice broke through the wind and the rain, "Tyler!"

"That's Ally," Tyler said knowing the voice right away.

"I need to go," Caroline said shouldering her backpack.

"You don't have to go just because Ally's looking for me," Tyler said not wanting her to go.

"I'll be here Tyler, all you have to do is be here too," and with that Caroline was gone.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Promise to Keep

"Caroline!" Tyler yelled reaching out, but it was too late, Caroline had disappeared into the growing darkness. Tyler leaned his head against the tree, not sure he could get up-not sure if he wanted to get up. He closed his eyes just as it started to pour down rain. He was soaked in a matter of seconds and yet he still didn't move-he couldn't bring himself to leave the spot-not yet.

"Tyler!" Ally's yell was joined by Aiden's voice and Tyler knew it was just a matter of time before he heard his mother's too, though some how he couldn't bring himself to call out to them, so he just waited. He thought of Caroline, of Michael-even their dad, fresh tears joining the rain drops on his face. He thought of Caroline, of how she had begged him to take her to the park instead of going with their father that fateful day-how he wished he could take that back. He thought of his dad-how he didn't really know him-and now he never would. He thought of what Michael had told him the morning of his birthday so long ago. "Never let our sister go," he had said, "Be there for her, protect her," he had drilled that into Tyler's head before leaving that day, it wasn't until later that day Tyler realized why he had done that. Tyler had promised him, "You know I will Michael, why are you telling me this?" Michael had not answered him, just made him promise to protect her. He had broken that promise. A branch cracking behind him made him snap back to the present.

"Tyler!" it was Ally's voice and it was just a matter of a second before she was beside him, "Where have you been? We've been worried sick!"

Tyler looked at her, her blond hair was plastered to her head from the rain, but she still looked as beautiful as ever, "I've been right here," he said, he wasn't lying, he had been here, just not alone.

Ally pushed some of the hair away from his eyes and called over her shoulder, "He's over here!" She turned back to Tyler who seemed to be focused on something else, "Tyler!"

He snapped back and looked at her, "What?"

"Are you alright?" Ally asked giving him a once over with her eyes as best she could in the rain.

Tyler shook his head, "I think my ankle's broken, I tripped over that branch you just broke."

Ally raised an eyebrow and shook her head, trust Tyler to break something while she breaks whatever broke him, "Can you walk?"

Tyler shrugged, he wasn't sure if he could or not, or if he really wanted to. He leaned against the tree and closed his eyes only opening them again to sneeze.

Ally gave him a concerned glanced, "Bless you," she said and then turned around yet again, "Aiden!"

"What?" Ally jumped when Aiden suddenly appeared behind her.

"Oh-don't do that," she said slapping his arm she motioned towards Tyler, "help me get him out of this rain will you?"

Aiden nodded and bent down so that he was eye level with his friend and blue eyes met green ones that were full of lose once again, "Hey-Tyler-dude you alright?"

Tyler closed his eyes again not wanting to look at anyone and simple nodded.

"He hurt his ankle somehow, it's not looking very good," Ally said pointing at the ankle in question.

Aiden followed her finger and winced in sympathy at what he saw. He could tell through the shoe that Tyler's ankle was at least twice the size it should be, he pulled up the pant leg just enough to see the long bruise that was starting to form on the inside of his friend's ankle, "Okay, you shouldn't walk on that, do you think we can get you to the car without you putting pressure on it?"

Tyler opened his eyes again and blinked several times to clear the rain from his vision, "I-," he didn't really want to leave yet but another sneeze sent a shiver through his body and he slowly nodded, "I think so."

"Okay-just lean on me as much as you need to," Aiden said as he pulled Tyler up gently and pulled his arm over his shoulder.

Tyler took one last look at the spot where his sister and vanished and then with a sigh let his best friends help him home.

…

"It's just a bad sprain, but you were lucky Tyler, a little farther and you could have broken it," Les said as he tightened the hard splint to Tyler's ankle, they were lucky Les was a doctor, it saved them a trip to the ER.

Tyler winced as the splint was tightened around his swollen ankle as his mother place an ice pack on it gently he nodded, "Thanks Les."

"Do you want to tell us what you were doing in the woods?" Diane asked as she sat down beside him, pulling a blanket over his shoulders as she did.

Tyler sighed, "I guess I just-," he stopped, should he tell them the truth or would they think he was insane? He thought for a minute-yep most defiantly insane, he gave the first reason that popped into his head, "I just-needed to get away, I couldn't take it anymore."

Diane's face softened and she put an arm around Tyler's shoulder, "I understand that sweetheart, just next time tell us when you're going to do that, I was worried sick-I can't lose you too."

Tyler sighed, bit his lip and slowly nodded, "I know-I'm sorry mom."

Diane gave Tyler a small smile and gently ran her hand through his still damp hair, "Just don't scare me like that again okay?"

Tyler nodded, "I won't go missing like that again, I promise."

Diane pulled him into a hug and Tyler sighed. He wouldn't go missing but that didn't mean he couldn't still go to the woods. Nothing was going to keep him away from his sister. Not even their mother. Not even a sprained ankle-no not even then-he had a promise to keep.


End file.
